2010 Team-By-Team Season Review: #13

While some might hate to admit it, the presence of one rider can often elevate a team’s status. As a matter of fact, we’ll see that twice in today’s portion of ranking, beginning here with Alejandro Valverde and Caisse d’Epargne.

Love him or hate him, Valverde is one heck of talented rider, and has to be considered a favorite in just about every race he enters—excluding the Tour, of course. Valverde’s already started-off 2010 on a victorious note, taking the overall title in the Med Tour. His next big objectives are Paris-Nice, Catalunya, and Pais Vasco before hitting the Ardennes—all winnable races for him.

Things get tricky for Valverde at the Tour though. The Dauphiné is one of his favorite races; his success there speaks volumes. But as soon as the calendar hits July it’s as if Valverde becomes an entirely different rider: timid, unsure, and prone to mistakes. While I doubt he can do it, if he were to take the mentality and poise he displayed in last year’s Vuelta and combine it with his fitness level from last year’s Dauphiné, a solid Tour result would be likely. I’ll grant him one last Tour try, but if this year goes as poorly as it has in the past, I hope he’ll settle for winning just about everything else.

There’s more talent at Caisse d’Epargne in the form of Luis Leon Sanchez, one of the savviest riders in the peloton. Sanchez can do it all when called upon, making him the most legitimate Tour leader for the Tour in Caisse’s stable. One can only imagine what Sanchez could do if he were free to ride for himself.

Overall, this talented duo faces the difficult task of performing well enough to entice someone to replace Caisse d’Epargne as title sponsor in 2011 and beyond. That’s a tall order in times as tough as these. But if anyone is capable of pulling it off, it’s Valverde—especially if he’s ever allowed back in Italy.

Man of the Hour: Valverde—could there be anyone else?

On the Hot Seat: Eusebio Unzue needs to find a sponsor—and fast. Not only is he looking down the barrel of unemployment, but he’s also competing with Bjarne Riis and Gerry Van Gerwen, two men whose teams have lost title sponsors as well.

Up-and-Comer: It’s hard to call Sanchez an up-and-comer given how long he’s been winning races. But he’s only 26, and still receives surprisingly little credit for his talent. If he raced anywhere but in Spain, he would be one of the most talked-about young riders in the world.

Best Pick-Up: I like the additions of Marzio Bruseghin, Christophe Moreau, Juan Mauricio Soler, and Juan Jose Cobo. Individually, none of them bring much to write home about, but collectively, they provide an instant injection of experience, talent, and strength to Caisse’s Tour squad. If only they had a leader with a proven track record of Tour success.

Biggest Loss: Caisse d’Epargne (the bank) has supported cycling for many years; its departure will be sorely missed—and not only in Spain.

What We Saw:

Remember when I said how the presence of one rider often elevates a team’s status? Well, we saw that play-out this season with Caisse d’Epargne. No matter how hard they tried, their season was more less over the moment the Spaniard’s suspension was upheld.

At the time of his suspension, Valverde was the #1-ranked rider in the world after winning the Med Tour, two stages at Pais Vasco, and a stage and the overall the Tour of Romandie. He also finished second overall at Paris-Nice and Pais Vasco, 3rd at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and 8th at Fleche Wallonne. Those are some pretty impressive results for only four months of racing—but all were stricken from the record.

Without Valverde and his wins, Caisse d’Epargne did its best to live up to their sponsor’s expectations—after all, with Caisse d’Epargne leaving after the completion of the season, they were essentially fighting for their livelihoods.

Of the team’s 12 official wins, Luis Leon Sanchez took six—the best of which was his win in the Classica San Sebastian. Portugal’s Rui Costa was next on the list with 3 victories to his name including a stage at the Tour de Suisse.

Unfortunately, the team was shut out at the Tour de France, a surprise considering the squad’s penchant for putting a skilled rider in just about every break. Vasil Kiriyenka and Luis Leon Sanchez came closest on Stages 9 and 10, but in the end, Caisse’s grand tour glory was confined to the Vuelta, where David Lopez and Imanol Ervitti took two wins—oddly enough, on Stages 9 and 10.

But despite the low win total, Caisse d’Epargne raced aggressively all season, with several men placing well in an abundance of races. Down Under, Paris-Nice, Tirreno, Catalunya, Sarthe, Dunkirk, Switzerland, Burgos, Limousin, and Lombardy—Eusebio Unzue’s boys were at the front of them all.

And in the end, in spite of Valverde, his reputation, and his suspension, the program was able to find a new sponsor—Movistar—and will live to fight another season.

Most Valuable Rider: While he did little to increase his team’s chances of securing a new sponsor, Valverde’s absence made clear his value to the team.

Biggest Disappointment: The Movistar deal must have come too late for some riders, as several signed contracts elsewhere for 2011 including Sanchez, Cobo, Costa, and Rigoberto Uran.

Biggest Surprise: Caisse d’Epargne was held without a stage win in this year’s Tour de France, a bit of a surprise considering they lacked a true leader for GC. Sanchez and Ruben Plaza finished 11th and 12th on GC, though—not a bad result for the two Spaniards. (See comments below for a better pick!)

That’s about does it for #13 in our Team-By-Team Season Review—come back soon for #12.

And share your comments below.

About Whit

My experiences might easily fit many cycling fans' definitions of “living the dream.” Since getting hooked on the sport watching Lance Armstrong win the 1993 U.S. Pro Championship, I've raced as an amateur on Belgian cobbles, traveled Europe to help build a European pro team, and piloted that team from Malaysia to Mont Ventoux. As a former assistant director sportif with Mercury-Viatel, I've also seen the less dreamy side of the sport – the side rife with broken contracts, infighting, and positive dope tests. These days, I live with my lovely wife in Pennsylvania and share my experiences and views on the sport at Bicycling Magazine, the Embrocation Cycling Journal, and at my own site, Pavé.